Incandescent lamp and attachments therefor



June 5, 1956 R. T. DORSEY 2,749,432

INCANDESCENT LAMP AND ATTACHMENTS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 26, 1952 Inventor;

Robert T Dorsey, byWKK His Attorney United States Patent "ice .INCANDESCENT LAMP AND ATTACHMENTS THEREFOR :Robert T. Dorsey, South Euclid, Ohio, assiguorto General Electric Company, a corporation of New York; patent dedicatedto the Public insofar as itrelates to lamps and-lamp parts to the extent stated in'document .recordedrin the'Uuited States Patent Ofiice, January 4,

1954, 'Liber U-238, page 394 'Application December 26, 1952, Serial No. 328,078

'8 Claims. (Cl. 240-10) The ,present invention relates to lincandescentdamps comprising a metal base and a glass bulb and -toattachments, such/as ornaments, forthelamps. The principal .objectof the invention is to provide "a simple means for ifirmlymounting attachments, such as-ornaments of various shapes, on Christmas tree lamps, for example, which provides for ventilationof the lamp and which eliminates the usual cementing of the attachment to anypartofthe lamp. -Still-further objects and advautages of the invention will appear from the following detailedvdescription of .species thereof and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is:an elevational view of an incandescent lamp made in accordance with the invention.

Fig.1 is a similar view of another lamp embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is-a'similar viewofstillanother lamp embodying the invention.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a collar for .attachmentto lamps of thetype shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of-the lamp showntin Fig. :1 with the col-larshown in Fig. 4 mounted thereon and shown'in section taken along the line 5-5of:-Fig. -4.

Fig. 6 is a-similar view of the lamp shown innFig. 1 with another collar embodying the invention mounted thereon and shown in section, a light transmittingornamentaindicatedin broken lines and enclosing the "lamp andamounted on the collar and a socket for the lamp base-also shown in broken lines.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of an assembly of thetlamptof Fig. 1,-socket, ornament and another species of collar mounted onand partially enclosing the bulbofthe lamp.

-Referring to the drawing the lamps illustrated each comprises a light transmitting glass bulb 1 of generally conventional shape used for Christmas tree lighting. The bulb l is ovoidal in shape and the screwbase 2 .ofathe lamp is-cemented to the larger end of the bulb .1 in the usual manner. Lamps having this structure .have been sold under the commercial designation of .the C7- /2 lamp for many years and have been used exteusively'in strings for Christmas tree decoration.

In accordance with the present invention the portion of the glass lamp bulb 1 adjacent the base 2, that is, the larger end=of the'bulb, isprovided, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, with an'annular indentation 3 and at least one, but preferably two individual and diametrically opposed deeper indentations 4 in thea-nnular indentation 3. These indentations "3 and-4 provide a seat for the ends of the shorter "fingers 5 and the longer fingers fi, respectively, of the inwardly extending spring fingers of the collar 7 shown in Fig. 4 and support the collar, together with its attached ornament 8 (Fig. 6) against axial or rotational displacement relative to'the lamp.

The indentations 3 and 4 may be and preferably are molded in the glass bulb 1 at the time the seal between the glass bulb and the current inlead wires of the lamp is made and molded to a size and shape suitable for 2,749,432 Patented June 5, 1956 .fitting into the .metal base .2 -.of the lamp. Thus, the annular indentations 3 and 4 may be provided in "the glass bulb -1 atthe cost merely of substituting new molds, to shape the usual sealand the indents 3 and 4at the same "time, for the presentmolds' used for shaping the seal only. In view of .the high :volume production of such lamp bulbs this costpertlamp-is nominal.

The indentations in'the glass bulb -.1 of 'thelamp-shown in Fig. .2 may be similarly formed at the time :the seal .is-molded. In Fig. 2 the indents 9 are individuah spaced depressions positioned in a ring around the'base end "of the .bulb and spaced from thebase 2. The depressions9 have the same depth as the annular indentation :3 of the .bulb 1 of Fig. 1. The :spring .fingers of the collar 7 shown in Fig. 4 may then be -.made equal to each-other in length :to engage by seatingin the depressions 9 and thus support the collar 7and its attached ornament on :the bulb -1.

Instead of indentations-molded into the wall of the .bulb projections may be similarly formed thereon as showninFig. 3 in whicheachipair-of annular projections :10 and llextend'only partially around the bulb 1-and arespaced apartaxiallyofthe bulb to define a groove 12 therebetween. A pair of linear projections .13 extend axially of the .bulb land are positioned between the .terminations .of the :projections 10-and 11. The fingers .of the collar 7 may be suitably modified in length and spacing to .fit into the groove .121 and engage; protuberances .1'3 toprevent.longitudinahand rotationaldisplacements of the collar 7 with respectto the lamp bulb '1.

.Othervsuitable .forms .of indents and protuberances and combinations thereof .may be used .by those skilled in the .artto .provide a seat on .the bulb 1 for .theends-of the tingersoftthe collar 7 and, of course, the shape and sizeofthe collar7rmaybemodifiedto engage the shaped base end .of .the bulb .1andsupport:varioussizes and shapes of ornaments.

:In Fig. 6, for example, the fingersr5 and E6 of .thetcoll-ar 7.show.n .in Fig.- 4.are.curved so thatthe solidringportion of the collar 7 -isaround thebulbendofthe base-2 and the ornament S-attachedto .the .collar 7 thus .con- .ceals the .part of the lamp .exposedfrom the socket 14.

In Fig. 7 the solidring of the .collar is:c ylindrical as shown-at 15 and .partiallyhouses the lamp bulb llwith its fingers sloping downwardly to engage the indentations 3. and 4.in-.the bulb. The cylindrical part .--15-.of the collar .terminatesin the ,regionof maximum brightness of .the lamp. An annular ..disc..16:of light transmitting material is attached to the-end: portion of the collar-by spacedlugs 17 in position .to receive light from the lamp through. its inner edge. A conical shaped light transmitting ornamental ,part .18 is attached to the disc'16 toeomplete the enclosure for the .lampbulb 1. The disc -16 andthe ornamental ,part-lsamay have different light transmitting characteristics .to provide color contraststherebetween.

The ornaments,:such asthe ornament *8 of Fig. 6 ,may be secured directly to .the collar .7 .in any conventional manner, as by being cemented .or clamped thereto, or the collar may constitute an integral part of the ornament.

An important feature of the combination of the lamp, ornament and collar of the present invention is the ventilation provided for the enclose'd'lamp by the collarand the ornament. The space between the fingers 5 and '6 of the collar constitutes air passages and the ornamentis provided with openings, such as the holes 19in thecap band'20 in the ornament '8 shown inFig. 6. Air .may flow throughijthese' spaces and openings and over the .enclosed parts 'of'thelamp to prevent overheating thereof which would shorten the useful life of the lamp.

The fingers of the collar 7 are made thin so as to be resilient and the collar is made of electrically insulating material, such as a temperature resistant impregnated press-board or an organic plastic. A suitable plastic is a condensation product of phenol and formaldehyde known as Bakelite.

The collar is slipped over the base end of the lamp for mounting the collar and its attached ornament on the bulb 1. After the spring fingers of the collar have engaged the indents 3, 4 and 9 or the groove 12 defined by the protuberances 10 and 11 the ornament, such as the ornament 8 of Fig. 6, may be attached, as by cementing it to the solid ring portion of the collar. The opening in the ornament is, of course, larger in diameter than the maximum diameter of the bulb 1 so that the ornament may be slipped over the said bulb 1 for attaching it to the ring portion of the collar 7 which is also of larger diameter than the bulb 1 so as to engage the aforesaid opening in the ornament.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An illuminated unit comprising in combination, an incandescent lamp having a glass bulb of substantially ovoidal shape and a base secured to the larger end of said bulb, a body of light transmitting material shaped to receive the lamp bulb and a collar supporting said body around said lamp bulb, the wall of the larger end portion of said bulb being irregular, the irregular portion of said wall extending circumferentially of the bulb at a region closely adjacent the said base thereon and comprising a recess which is annularly discontinuous around the bulb to provide transversely facing locking shoulders thereon, said irregular wall portion providing a seat for said collar around the said end portion of the bulb, said collar having spaced spring fingers extending inwardly from a solid ring and engaging the irregular wall portion of the bulb and within the said recess thereof to lock the collar in place on the bulb against both rotative and axial movement relative thereto, said body being attached to the solid ring part of said collar whereby said light transmitting body is supported by said lamp bulb.

2. An illuminated decorative unit comprising in combination, an incandescent lamp having a glass bulb of substantially ovoidal shape and a base secured to the larger end of said bulb, an ornament of light transmitting material shaped to receive the lamp bulb and a collar supporting said ornament around said lamp bulb, the wall of the larger end portion of said bulb being irregular, the irregular portion of said wall extending circumferentially of the bulb at a region closely adjacent the said base thereon and comprising a recess which is annularly discontinuous around the bulb to provide transversely facing locking shoulders thereon, said irregular wall portion providing a seat for said collar around the said end portion of the bulb, said collar having spaced spring fingers extending inwardly from a solid ring and engaging the irregular wall portion of the bulb and within the said recess thereof to lock the collar in place on the bulb against both rotative and axial movement relative thereto, said ornament being attached to the solid ring part of said collar whereby said ornament is supported by said lamp bulb, said ornament having openings spaced from the part thereof secured to said collar, said openings providing with the spaces between the fingers of said collar passages for the flow of air through said ornament for cooling said lamp bulb.

3. An illuminated decorative unit comprising in combination, an incandescent lamp having a glass bulb of substantially ovoidal shape and a base secured to the larger end of said bulb, an ornament of light transmitting material shaped to receive the lamp bulb and a collar supporting said ornament around said lamp bulb, the wall of the larger end portion of said bulb having irregularities therein arranged circumferentially of the bulb at a region closely adjacent the said base thereon and constituted by indented portions which are annularly discontinuous around the bulb to provide transversely facing locking shoulders thereon, said indented portions providing a seat for said collar around the said end portion of the bulb, said collar having spaced spring fingers extending inwardly from a solid ring and engaging the indented wall portions of the bulb and the said locking shoulders to lock the collar in place on the bulb against both rotative and axial movement relative thereto, said ornament being attached to the solid ring part of said collar whereby said ornament is supported by said lamp bulb.

4. An illuminated decorative unit according to claim 1 characterized in that the said circumferentially extending irregular portion of the wall of the larger end portion of the bulb has an annular indentation and a deeper indentation in said annular indentation and that the fingers of said collar fit into said annular indentation with one of said fingers engaging said deeper indentation to support the ornament in fixed axial and rotational position with respect to the lamp bulb.

5. An illuminated decorative unit according to claim 1 characterized in that the said circumferentially extending irregular portion of the wall of the larger end portion of the bulb has a multiplicity of individual depressions positioned in a ring around the bulb and spaced from the base and that the spring fingers of the collar correspond in number to the number of said depressions and engage the depressions to support the ornament in fixed axial and rotational position with respect to the lamp bulb.

6. An illuminated decorative unit according to claim 1 characterized in that the said circumferentially extending irregular portion of the Wall of the larger end portion of the bulb has annular projections spaced apart axially of the bulb to define an annular groove around the said end portion of the bulb and that the spring fingers of said collar engage the sides of the said groove to support the said ornament on said bulb.

7. An incandescent lamp comprising a glass bulb of substantially ovoidal shape and a metal base attached to the larger end of said bulb, the wall of the larger end of said bulb being irregular, the irregular portion of said wall extending circumferentially of the bulb at a region closely adjacent the said base thereon and comprising a recess which is annularly discontinuous around the bulb to provide transversely facing locking shoulders thereon, said irregular wall portion providing a seat around the said end of the bulb for supporting decorative devices around said bulb.

8. An incandescent lamp comprising a glass bulb and a metal base attached thereto, the wall of said bulb adjacent said base being irregular, the irregular portion of said bulb wall extending circumferentially of the bulb at a region closely adjacent the said base thereon and comprising a recess which is annularly discontinuous around the bulb to provide transversely facing locking shoulders thereon, said irregular wall portion providing an attachment supporting seat around the bulb.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,075,924 Litzenberg Oct. 14, 1913 1,349,374 Gruenfeld Aug. 10, 1920 1,747,635 Jackson Feb. 18, 1930 2,248,117 Petry July 8, 1941 2,383,941 Otis Sept. 4, 1945 2,462,562 Schwab Feb. 22, 1949 2,590,279 Soss Mar. 25, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 784,755 France May 6, 1935 

